Wire and cable printer

ABSTRACT

A wire and cable printing machine having a printing roller adapted to print on a wire or cable passed over an upper portion of the wheel&#39;&#39;s periphery, including a pair of outer guide rollers on each side of the printing roller for guiding the wire or cable in printing contact with the printing roller and an upper back-up roller between the outer guide rollers for guiding the wire or cable therebetween and for positioning the wire or cable in printing contact with the printing roller.

D United States Patent 1 1 3,709,143 Rundell 1 Jan. 9, 1973 54 WIRE AND CABLE PRINTER 2,929,671 3/1960 Taylor ..346/74 2,988,989 6/1961 Crawford. ..101/154 X [75] James 3,039,779 6/1962 Laird ..277/70 x [73] Assignee; Cyprus Mines Corporation, Los An- 3,109,682 11/1963 Plumat ..308/36.3 geles, Calif. 3,347,604 /1967 Lavelle et al. ..308/36.3 [22] Filed: Aug. 31, 1970 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [21] Appl. No.1 68,078 152,876 8/1953 Australia ..101/37 Primary Examiner-Robert E. Pulfrey [52] US. Cl. ..101/37, 101/157, 101/169, Assistant Examiner clifford D. Crowd 101,350 308/363 277/70 Attorne --Harris Kiech Russell& K m [51] lnt.Cl. ..B4lt 17/10, B4lf9/l0,Fl6j /40 y e [58] Field of Search ..101/-37, 6, 228,

101/153-156, 157, 152, 169, 207, 208, 350, [57] ABSTRACT 351, 363; 118/234, 203, DIG. 20; 277/70; A wire and cable printing machine having a printing 308/10 A, 36.3 roller adapted to print on a wire or cable passed over an upper portion of the wheels periphery, including a [56] References Cited pair of outer guide rollers on each side of the printing roller for guiding the wire or cable in printing contact UNITED STATES PATENTS with the printing roller and an upper back-up roller 2,186,788 111940 Olson ..101/37 x w n th uter guide rollers for guiding the wire or 2,227,694 111941 Bates ..l0l/36 cable therebetween and for positioning the wire or 2,372,113 1945 Radcliffe r ..1l8/DlG. 20 cable in printing contact with the printing roller. 2,898,848 8/1959 Gillies et a1 ..101/36 2,898,849 8/1959 Gillies ..l0l/37 3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures K a g 35 44a l l 337/ 7 WIRE AND CABLE PRINTER THE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a machine for printing on the exterior of wire and cable. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a cable and wire printer that can be situated between a source of wire or cable and a wire or cable take-up roller or drum.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART The use of wire and cable printers is well known in the art. Although many such printers are available on the market, their use has been highly limited because of certain drawbacks, the principal being that they only operate at relatively slow speeds, such as at about 300 feet of wire or cable per minute. This is highly undesirable since it necessitates slowing the speed of the wire extruder supplying the wire, which can operate readily at speeds over several times this rate. When an attempt is made to speed up the printer, the printed impression becomes smeared and indistinct making it-very difficult to read. As the speed increases, the impression is finally obliterated into a smear and is unreadable. Because of the slow printing speed of the present printers, the printing operation of wire and cable is frequently made a separate operation in order to obtain the maximum operating efficiency of the wire or cable extruder. Thus, after the wire or cable has been extruded and wound on a drum, the wire or cable is then reeled from its drum through a printer and taken up on another reel or drum. This requires duplication of take-up or winding machinery. A further disadvantage of the present printers is that they have poor register even at slow speeds. Another drawback to the present printers is that they are expensive pieces of machinery and are unwieldly to handle so that they cannot be readily combined with present extruder and take-up drums. Another and further drawback of the present printersis that they are not universal; that is, the printers cannot readily handle a large range of wire and cable diameters without expensive modification or time-consuming alterations. Some of the other disadvantages of the present printers arises from the fact that the printers require the use of expensive arcuate type having a concave face of a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the wire or cable being printed.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a machine for printing wire and cable and comprises, in combination, an ink pan adapted to hold printing ink, a frame element to which the ink pan is removably attached, a printing wheel vertically mounted on the frame element for free rotation and partially disposed in said ink pan, two side guide rollers which are vertically mounted in the plane of the printing wheel partially above the printing wheel for free rotation, a back-up-roller vertically mounted in the plane of the printer wheel between the two guide rollers and above the printing wheel for free rotation, the back-up roller being adjustable vertically and horizontally about its rotational axis, the guide rollers being of sufficient diameter so that their peripheries extend slightly below the top portion of the periphery of the printing wheel, and wiping means mounted on said frame element in wiping contact with the printing wheel for removing excess ink off the face of the type mounted on the periphery of the printing wheel.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a wire and cable printer which can be mounted between a wire or cable source, such as an extruder, and a wire or cable take-up or winding machine. More particularly, it is an object to provide a wire or cable printer which can operate at substantially higher speeds than conventional printers.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a wire or cable printer which can operate at speeds in excess of 1,000 feet of wire or cable per minute. More particularly, it is an object to provide a high speed wire or cable printer which has excellent register and gives sharp and clear impressions on wire and cable.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive, relatively small and simple device for the printing of wire or cable.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a universal wire and cable printer. More particularly, it is an object to provide a wire and cable printer that can handle a broad range of wire and cable diameters without modification or alteration, and with a minimum of adjustments.

Another and further object of the present invention is to provide a printer which can use conventional flat or planar face type.

An even further object of the present invention is to provide a printer which can be utilized in combination with the present extruders and take-up machines without extensive modification thereof and which eliminates the need for having a separate printing operation for wire and cable.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention become apparent and are illustrated in the following description of the present invention. The following description is intended as merely an illustration of the present invention and is in no way to be interpreted as a limitation thereof.

DESCRIPTIONOF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a plan view of the printer of the present invention; g

' FIG. 2 is an elevational sectional view of the printer taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the printer taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawing, a cable and wire printer 1 of the present invention includes in combination a support element or frame 2, an ink pan 3 which is removably attached to the support element 2, a printing roller or wheel 4 vertically mounted on the support element 2 for free rotation, a back-up roller 5 vertically and adjustably mounted on the support element 2 for free rotation, and first and second guide rollers 6 and 7 which are vertically mounted on either side of the printing roller 4 on the support element 2 for free rotation.

The support element 2 is attached at its base to a horizontal support flange 11 (see FIG. 1 which is secured to a support base 12 by bolts 13 and nuts 13a. The bolts 13 are passed through communicating holes in the support flange 11 and the support base 12. The ink pan 3 is removably supported by two vertical support flanges 14 which are secured to its bottom. The support flanges 14 have slits which are juxtaposed with threaded holes in the base of the support element 2;

threaded bolts 15 secure the support flanges 14 to the element 2. The ink pan 3 is filled with sufficient ink 16, such as to ink level 17, to immerse the lower portion of the printing roller 4 shown in the drawing. The back side of the ink pan 3, that is, the side adjacent the element 2, has a large vertical slit 18 for passage of the pan around the supporting elements of the printing roller 4 and a back guide plate 24 which is described below.

Referring to FIG. 3, a printing legend 20 is engraved or otherwise formed on the periphery of the printing wheel 4. The printing roller 4 has a circular central aperture in which there is secured a bushing 21. The printing wheel is journaled on a circular shaft 22 for free rotation in the vertical place and is mounted between first and second circular side or guide plates 23 and 24, respectively. Each of the guide plates 23 and 24 is vertically mounted on the shaft 22 but does not rotate thereon. The shaft 22 has a first end terminating in a shoulder portion 25 from which a threaded lug portion 26 extends coaxially with the shaft. The shaft 22 has a retainer ring portion 27 situated away from the shoulder portion 25 toward the second end of the shaft a distance slightly greater than the width of the printing roller 4. The first guide plate 23 has a central circular aperture and is mounted on the lug portion 26 of the shaft. The plate 23 is firmly secured to the shoulder portion 25 by means of a washer 28 and a nut 29 which is threaded complementary with the threaded lug 26. The second guide plate 24 has a central circular sleeve portion 24a and a front shoulder portion 24b which is complementary in size and shape to the retainer ring portion 27 of the shaft 22. The circular sleeve 24a is journaled on the shaft 22 with the shoulder portion 24b engaging the ring portion 27. The second end of the shaft 22 extends and passes through a circular aperture in the support element 2 which has a diameter only slightly larger than that of the shaft and is secured by a sleeve 23 so that the sleeve portion 24a firmly abuts the support element 2 and the shaft is secured in a horizontal position. The upper portion of the first side plate 23 has a threaded aperture which receives a threaded pipe elbow 30. Opposite the threaded aperture in the first plate 23, the second plate 24 has a threaded aperture which receives a threaded pip elbow 30.

Directly above the printing roller 4 there is mounted for free rotation the back-up roller 5 which has a V- shaped groove 33 in its periphery for guiding a wire or cable of a plurality'of diameters. The roller 5 is journaled for free rotation on shaft 34 which is secured at the lower end of support fixture 35. The other end of the shaft 34 is threaded. The upper end of support fixture 35 is slotted and support fixture 35 is secured to support element 2 by a threaded bolt 36 which passes through the slot and into a complementary threaded hole in support element 2 (see FIG. 2). Between support fixture 35 and the back-up roller 5 there is mounted about the shaft a spring 37 and washer 38, the spring biasing the roller away from the support fixture 35. On the other side of the roller 5 toward the threaded end of the shaft 34 there is mounted on the shaft a washer 39, an adjustment nut 40 and lock nut 41, respectively. The adjustment nut and lock'nut are threaded complementary to the threaded end of the shaft 34.

Referring to FIG. 1, the first guide roller 6 is journaled on a horizontal shaft 44 for free .rotation. One end of the shaft 44 is secured, in a horizontal position parallel to the axis of shaft 22, to support bracket 45. The roller 6 has a V-shaped groove 43 in its periphery for guiding wire or cable 8 of a plurality of diameters. The roller 6 is maintained in the plane of the printing wheel 4 by first and second sleeves 46 and 47, respectively, which are secured to shaft 44. The support bracket 45 has two parallel vertical slots in the upper portion and is adjustably secured to support element 2 by two threaded bolts 48 which pass through the slots and into complementary threaded holes in support element 2. The second guide roller 7 has a V-shaped groove 49 in its periphery. The roller 7 is vertically mounted for free rotationon a horizontal shaft 44a which is secured, in a horizontal position with its axis parallel to the axis of shaft 22, at the lower end of a support bracket 45a. Roller 7 is maintained in the plane of the printing wheel 4 by first and second sleeves 46a and 47a, respectively, which are secured to shaft 44a..The support bracket 45a has two vertical, parallel slots in its upper portion and is adjustably secured to support element 2 by threaded bolts 48a which pass through the slots and into complementary threaded holes in the support element 2.

The wiper element 9 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The wiper element consists of a vertical, elongated strut 51 which is pivotally mounted at its upper end on horizontal shaft 52 (see FIG. 1) which is secured to support element 2 in a horizontal position with its axis substantially parallel to the axis of shaft 22. The strut 51 is spaced apart from the support element 2 by washer 53 which is mounted on the shaft 52. The strut 51 is pivotally secured to the shaft 52 by means of washer 54 and threaded nut 55, the end of the shaft and the nut having complementary threads. At the other end of the strut 51 there is pivotally secured an elongated blade support element 56; the strut 51 and the element 56 are pivotally attached with a threaded bolt passing through communicating holes in the strut and element and secured at its threaded ,end with a complementaryv threaded nut. Theupper portion of the element 56 is bent at an angle with respect to the vertical plane of the support to form a blade support flange 57. Adjustably attached to the flange 57 is a doctorplate 58 and a brace 59, the doctor plate and the brace being adjustably secured to the support portion by threaded screws 60 which pass through communicating holes in the brace and blade into complementary threaded holes in the flange. The brace 59 has a large central orifice through which the wire 8 passes without hindrance. One end of an adjustment screw 61 is rotatably secured to the upper end of the brace 59. The adjustment screw 61 is threadably engaged with element 62, which is pivotally secured to the threaded end of shaft 52. The screw 61 and element 62 can be locked into an adjusted position by lock nut 63. A handle element 64 is secured to the strut 51 near its upper end. By manual movement of the handle 64 up and down, the doctor blade 58 can be moved into contact with and away from, respectively, the printing wheel 4 without requiring the operator to reach into the ink pan 3.

An air hose 65a is secured to the elbow 30 and an air hose 65b is secured to the elbow 31.

OPERATION OF THE WIRE AND CABLE PRINTER The present printer can be used on both noninsulated or insulated wire or cable; preferably it is used to print insulated wire and cable. The wire (or cable) 8 is fed from a wire source, such as a wire extruder, under the first guide roller 6 with the wire 8 engaging the V- shaped groove 43, between the printing roller 4 and the back-up roller 5 with the wire engaging the V-shaped groove 33 and in printing contact with the legend 20, under the second guide roller 7 with the wire engaging the V-shaped groove portion 49, and pulled therethrough by a take-up machine wherein the wire is wound on a drum or reel. The back-up roller 5, which is spring-loaded, is horizontally adjusted by rotating the adjustment nut 40 to center the wire 8 directly over the legend 20; thelock nut 41 is then tightened against the adjustment nut 40. The roller 5 is vertically adjusted by loosening the bolt 36, raising or lowering fixture 35 to provide the proper printing pressure between the wire 8 and the legend 20 on the periphery of the printing wheel 4; the bolt 36 is then tightened. The first and second guide rollers 6 and 7 are vertically adjusted by raising or lowering the brackets 45 and 45a to provide the proper printing contact between the wire 8 and the periphery of the printing wheel 4. The grooved, springloaded back-up roller 5 prevents wandering of the wire 8 over the face of the legend 20 to provide clear distinct printed impressions on the wire. The grooves in the first and second guide rollers 6 and 7 eliminate play between the wire and the rollers thus insuring good registration and, being V-shaped, accommodate wires of differing diameters. The plates 23 and 24 assist in maintaining the vertical alignment of the printing wheel to insure good registration during the printing operation.

An air stream, from an air source (not shown) under moderate pressure, such as 5 psi, is fed into air hoses 65a and 65b through which the air passes into the elbows 30 and 31, respectively, and exits in the spaces between the inner sides of the first and second plates 23 and 24, respectively, and the sides of the printing wheel 4. The take-up machine is then actuated causing the wire to be pulled under the first guide roller 6 around the upper portion of the periphery of printing roller 4, between rollers 4 and 5, and under the second guide roller 7. The amount of ink on the legend 20 is controlled by adjusting the angle of incidence'between the doctor blade 58 and the periphery of the printing roller 4 by means of the threaded adjustment screws 61.

The air stream, which is blown in the spaces between the printing roller 4 and the plates 23 and 24 significantly assists in minimizing the friction between the printing roller and plates during the operation of the wire printer. The air stream also tends to float the printing roller 4 reducing the friction between the bushing 21 and the shaft 22 and prolonging the life of the bushing. The air streams also serve to cool the ink 16 in the pan 3.

Iclaim:

1. In a wire printing machine, the combination of:

a printing roller provided with printing type on its periphery adapted to be wetted with ink, said roller being rotatable on a first horizontal axis;

first and second guide rollers each rotatably mounted on a horizontal axis on each side of said first horizontal axis and substantially thereabove, the diameters of said guide rollers being such that their peripheries extend slightly below the uppermost portion of the periphery of said printing roller;

a back-up roller rotatably mounted on a horizontal axis vertically aligned with said first horizontal axis and thereabove, said back-up roller being disposed between said first andsecond guide rollers and having a diameter such that its periphery is slightly above the periphery of said printing roller, whereby a wire is adapted to be threaded under said first and second guide rollers and in contact therewith and over said printing roller and in printing contact therewith and between said printing roller and said back-up roller, said back-up roller guiding the wire drawn between said first and second guide rollers over said printing roller for printing contact therewith; I

means for supplying printing ink to said type;

a doctor blade for wiping excess ink from the periphery of said printing roller;

means for mounting the blade for movement toward and away from the periphery of said printing roller, including a vertical strut pivotally mounted at its upper end on a horizontal axis parallel with said first horizontal axis, a blade support beam pivotally mounted at its lower end to the lower end of said vertical strut by pivot mounting means, the upper end of said beam being bent at an angle to form a roughly horizontal flange for supporting said blade, mounting means for attaching said blade to the flange, a blade adjustment means attached to a platform and the upper end of the vertical strut for adjusting the angle of incidence between said blade and said printing roller, and a handle element connected near the upper end of said vertical strut for moving the blade toward and away from the periphery of said printing roller.

2. A wire printing machine which comprises in combination: I

a support frame;

an ink pan adapted to contain printing ink in the lower portion thereof which is removably attached to said frame;

a printing roller partially disposed in the pan and extending downwardly therein below the normal upper level of the printing ink contained therein,- said printing roller being provided with printing type on its periphery adapted to be wetted with such ink upon rotation of said roller therethrough, said roller being rotatable on a first horizontal axis which is mounted on said frame;

first and second vertically mounted guide plates, said guide plates being mounted on the opposing sides of said printing roller, the upper portion of the peripheries of each guide plate substantially matching the periphery of said printing roller, each guide plate having an air inlet means in its upper portion for the admission of a stream of air into the space between said printing roller and said guide plate, the air inlet means of said guide plates being opposingly in alignment;

first and second guide rollers each rotatably mounted on a horizontal axis on each side of said first horizontal axis, parallel therewith and substantially thereabove, each horizontal axis of a guide roller being attached to said frame, each of said guide rollers being vertically adjustable, each of such guide rollers lying in the plane of the printing roller, the diameters of said guide rollers being such that the peripheries extend slightly below the uppermost portion of the periphery of said printing roller, each of said guide rollers having a V-shaped groove in its periphery to accommodate and guide therebetween wire of various diameters;

a back-up roller rotatably mounted on a second horizontal axis vertically aligned and parallel with said first horizontal axis and thereabove, said second horizontal axis being attached to said frame, said back-up roller being disposed between said first and second guide rollers having a diameter such that its periphery is slightly above the periphery of said printing roller, said back-up roller having a V-shaped groove in its periphery to accommodate and guide therebetween wire of 25 various diameters, whereby a wire is adapted to be threaded under said first and said second guide rollers and in contact therewith and over said printing roller and in printing contact therewith and between said printing roller and said back-up roller, said back-up roller guiding the wire drawn between said first and second guide rollers over said printing roller for printing contact therewith, said back-up roller being adjustable horizontally along its axis and vertically; and

a doctor blade for wiping excess ink from the type on the periphery of said printing wheel, mounting means for mounting said doctor blade for movement toward and away from the periphery of said printing roller, and adjustment means for changing the position of said doctor blade from a location exterior to said ink pan.

3. The machine as defined in claim 2, in which the means for mounting the doctor blade comprises in combination: a vertical strut pivotally mounted at its upper end on a horizontal axis parallel with said first horizontal axis; a blade support beam pivotally mounted at its lower end to the lower end of said vertical strut by pivotable mounting means, the upper end of said beam being bent at an angle to form a platform for supporting said blade, mounting means for attaching said blade to the platform, a blade adjustment means attached to the platform and the upper end of the vertical strut for adjusting the angle of incidence between said blade and said printing wheel; and a handle element connected near the upper end of said vertical strut for moving the blade toward and away from the periphery of said printing roller. 

1. In a wire printing machine, the combination of: a printing roller provided with printing type on its periphery adapted to be wetted with ink, said roller being rotatable on a first horizontal axis; first and second guide rollers each rotatably mounted on a horizontal axis on each side of said first horizontal axis and substantially thereabove, the diameters of said guide rollers being such that their peripheries extend slightly below the uppermost portion of the periphery of said printing roller; a back-up roller rotatably mounted on a horizontal axis vertically aligned with said first horizontal axis and thereabove, said back-up roller being disposed between said first and second guide rollers and having a diameter such that its periphery is slightly above the periphery of said printing roller, whereby a wire is adapted to be threaded under said first and second guide rollers and in contact therewith and over said printing roller and in printing contact therewith and between said printing roller and said back-up roller, said back-up roller guiding the wire drawn between said first and second guide rollers over said printing roller for printing contact therewith; means for supplying printing ink to said type; a doctor blade for wiping excess ink from the periphery of said printing roller; means for mounting the blade for movement toward and away from the periphery of said printing roller, including a vertical strut pivotally mounted at its upper end on a horizontal axis parallel with said first horizontal axis, a blade support beam pivotally mounted at its lower end to the lower end of said vertical strut by pivot mounting means, the upper end of said beam being bent at an angle to form a roughly horizontal flange for supporting said blade, mounting means for attaching said blade to the flange, a blade adjustment means attached to a platform and the uppEr end of the vertical strut for adjusting the angle of incidence between said blade and said printing roller, and a handle element connected near the upper end of said vertical strut for moving the blade toward and away from the periphery of said printing roller.
 2. A wire printing machine which comprises in combination: a support frame; an ink pan adapted to contain printing ink in the lower portion thereof which is removably attached to said frame; a printing roller partially disposed in the pan and extending downwardly therein below the normal upper level of the printing ink contained therein, said printing roller being provided with printing type on its periphery adapted to be wetted with such ink upon rotation of said roller therethrough, said roller being rotatable on a first horizontal axis which is mounted on said frame; first and second vertically mounted guide plates, said guide plates being mounted on the opposing sides of said printing roller, the upper portion of the peripheries of each guide plate substantially matching the periphery of said printing roller, each guide plate having an air inlet means in its upper portion for the admission of a stream of air into the space between said printing roller and said guide plate, the air inlet means of said guide plates being opposingly in alignment; first and second guide rollers each rotatably mounted on a horizontal axis on each side of said first horizontal axis, parallel therewith and substantially thereabove, each horizontal axis of a guide roller being attached to said frame, each of said guide rollers being vertically adjustable, each of such guide rollers lying in the plane of the printing roller, the diameters of said guide rollers being such that the peripheries extend slightly below the uppermost portion of the periphery of said printing roller, each of said guide rollers having a V-shaped groove in its periphery to accommodate and guide therebetween wire of various diameters; a back-up roller rotatably mounted on a second horizontal axis vertically aligned and parallel with said first horizontal axis and thereabove, said second horizontal axis being attached to said frame, said back-up roller being disposed between said first and second guide rollers having a diameter such that its periphery is slightly above the periphery of said printing roller, said back-up roller having a V-shaped groove in its periphery to accommodate and guide therebetween wire of various diameters, whereby a wire is adapted to be threaded under said first and said second guide rollers and in contact therewith and over said printing roller and in printing contact therewith and between said printing roller and said back-up roller, said back-up roller guiding the wire drawn between said first and second guide rollers over said printing roller for printing contact therewith, said back-up roller being adjustable horizontally along its axis and vertically; and a doctor blade for wiping excess ink from the type on the periphery of said printing wheel, mounting means for mounting said doctor blade for movement toward and away from the periphery of said printing roller, and adjustment means for changing the position of said doctor blade from a location exterior to said ink pan.
 3. The machine as defined in claim 2, in which the means for mounting the doctor blade comprises in combination: a vertical strut pivotally mounted at its upper end on a horizontal axis parallel with said first horizontal axis; a blade support beam pivotally mounted at its lower end to the lower end of said vertical strut by pivotable mounting means, the upper end of said beam being bent at an angle to form a platform for supporting said blade, mounting means for attaching said blade to the platform, a blade adjustment means attached to the platform and the upper end of the vertical strut for adjusting the angle of incidence between said blade and said printing wheel; and a handle element connected near the upper enD of said vertical strut for moving the blade toward and away from the periphery of said printing roller. 